In 1930, Henry Luce started Fortune magazine. In 1990, Cisco went public through an IPO. In 1995, John Chambers became CEO of Cisco. In 1998, Fortune started its "Best Companies to Work For" List. As a young company, Cisco was pleased to be on that first list in 1998.  We're extra proud to have been on this prestigious list every year since its inception. For the 16th year in a row, Cisco is on Fortune's "Best Companies to Work For" list. We came in at#42...so, we have some room for improvement, but, WOW: 16 YEARS IN A ROW!!

The 2013 list was initially released in an Apple iPad app and appears today online and will be in the February edition of the magazine.

"This is the most recognized and visible employee survey in the United States, both inside and outside Cisco, and placing on the list is beyond an honor," says Kath Weslock, SVP and Chief HR Officer. "As we work on re-invigorating our culture and engaging with our employees, this award couldn't be more important to us and speaks volumes about the true spirit of our employees."

Two-thirds of a company's score is based on its employees' responses to the survey, which asks how they feel about their jobs, management's credibility, camaraderie at the company, and other aspects of work. More than 2,000 randomly selected employees were surveyed for this year's ranking.

Each day dedicated Cisco employees work hard to create innovative, exciting technology and serve customers by making their businesses better. Over our 23 years as a public company, this has been a great place for employees to make their mark on the world of technology...and while I personally hope we can continue on this prestigious list for years to come, our real benefit comes from knowing that we are changing the world for the better every day.

Congratulations to our fellow list-members and their great employees (including Google at#1!) and congratulations to all Cisco employees, partners and investors for working each and every day to make amazing things and experiences happen as we create new connections through our innovative technology.

I try to learn something new every day, so please share with us what makes your company great to work for in the comments section below.